“He’s a good kid. He’s a gorgeous person. He’s a person with a lot of moral values, a family. We’re really in shock, just like everybody else,” said aunt Ramona Pena.

Police said the alleged rape happened Friday morning behind an apartment building in Inwood. Pena, drunk and in plain clothes, asked a woman for directions, police say.

He allegedly put his arm around her saying “You’re coming with me” while letting the victim see the service revolver in his belt. Police found Pena’s gun at the scene. A neighbor who was watching called 9-1-1.

“Not right now. No thank you. I have no comment,” defense attorney Jorge Campos told CBS 2’s Ann Mercogliano. He had nothing to say after the arraignment, but plenty to say in court.

“If the allegations are true, it’s an aberration based on his character,” Campos said.

Pena has worked at the 33rd Precinct since 2008. His family says he is engaged to be married.

“He was very proud, very proud to be a police officer. And he was, this is just a surprise for us. This is a very difficult time for the family,” Ramona said.

A judge set bail at $500,000 and $1 million for bond.

Pena has been suspended. He’s due back in court on August 24.

What do you think of the charges? Sound off in our comments section below…

I feel badly for the family of the Rapist and the Victim of his crime. He, however, should be put in the same cell as the baddest butt raping prisoner in the jail system if he is found guilty. He is worse than the worst animal ever to walk this earth. (If Guilty)

That’s it! Ship him off to SPACE CAMP for life. He should be going to the Baikonur Cosmodrome for Astronaut training in Kazakhstan, and then he should be going to the Moon/Mars, to do time, not rotting in a prison cell. SpaceX gonna give it to ya.

How did this fat POS pass the NYPD physical? I know a lot of cops get fat while on the job and somehow remain a cop (though therr should be periodical physicals required to weed out the pigs), but this guy been on the job for what- three years? Doubt he got that fat in that short period of time.

He’s a punk, probably has a typical cop backstory: either was a bully, or was bullied… then became a cop.

And, no, I did NOT say that this renders his guilt apparent, so do not come back with a defensive comment. My remark bears no relation to presumption of innocence — I’m simply adding to what you said about service revolvers!

The 6th Amendment.
“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy
and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the
crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense” The way it works is that a person is presumed to be innocent until they’re found guilty. ” “Innocent until proven guilty” is NOT in the Constitution.
A neighbor that saw it called 911 while it was happening.

Counselor….Why are you raising a point in response to a point I NEVER raised?
Nonetheless…..UNDER LAW, Americans are supposed to have the PRESUMPTION of innocence. While such wording is not in the Constitution, it is still a A principle that requires the government to prove the guilt of a criminal defendant and relieves the defendant of any burden to prove his or her innocence.
The presumption of innocence, an ancient tenet of Criminal Law, is actually a misnomer. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, the presumption of the innocence of a criminal defendant is best described as an assumption of innocence that is indulged in the absence of contrary evidence (Taylor v. Kentucky, 436 U.S. 478, 98 S. Ct. 1930, 56 L. Ed. 2d 468 [1978]). It is not considered evidence of the defendant’s innocence, and it does not require that a mandatory inference favorable to the defendant be drawn from any facts in evidence.
In practice the presumption of innocence is animated by the requirement that the government prove the charges against the defendant Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. This DUE PROCESS requirement, a fundamental tenet of criminal law, is contained in statutes and judicial opinions. The requirement that a person suspected of a crime be presumed innocent also is mandated in statutes and court opinions.

You yourself is a Racist. Every time you see fire, you automatically, racially profiled the fire and you refuse to put your hand in the fire. Just because other fires had burnt you doesn’t mean this fire will. Stupid logic from you stupid people

Sometimes I wonder if I should be just as frightened of POs who abuse their position as I am of criminals. I’m sure there are many honorable men and women in the NYPD. Yet one can’t help but wonder how many are corrupt and abusive, and how often their peers look the other way for fear of retribution.

he is a disgrace to the long blue line of new york’s finest and the larger police family. hopefully they took his badge & gun when he was suspended. my dad was nypd for over 30 yrs, and thugs like this have no place using the motto “to serve & protect.” cut the nonsense with being drunk as an excuse. WRONG!!!!zero tolerance, no apologies accepted, no second chances. oh, and if he does make bail (hopefully not), make it a condition that the witnesses are not harassed/intimidated by him or any rogue friends. shame.. justice for the victim.

The police caught him at the scene, so the arresting officers are witnesses. The victim & a neighbor are witnesses. The guy did it. Throw the book at him. And I am so SICK & TIRED of family members defending criminal behavior. Looks like he’s not the only one lacking morals- his family lacks them too.

If you read around, the woman ran from the scene and screamed, “He raped me! He raped me!” A school teacher deserves no such thing. Books aren’t good enough for such primal behavior. The books are there because laws were written for such yokeless acts.

There is not a law man has created that was not meant to be broken. I’d rather see those guilty of rape, molestation, and gross abuses of humanity to be cast into the desert for the wolves to pick their flesh and the crows to feast on their auges. Cruel and unusual requires levity towards the punishment. What levity is there in reparation?

Surely, we can consider this behavior forgivable, in light of eternity. Nonetheless, such beings are forever bound to their way. And if perhaps they are to do so, in blasphemy against the Holy Spirit–let the servant of Christ have power of their decrepit souls. As the Franciscan monks might say, “Oh Father, we petition you to bring a strong bout o’ diarrhea to thine own transgressor.”

As for his family, let them grieve without condemnation. In what part of this do you accuse them, justifiably so? I hardly consider defending someone you couldn’t imagine being guilty of such a horrific crime, to be a travesty.

I’m more concerned about the judge granting any bail, no matter the amount. With such findings being reported–what leeway does this man deserve. I dare say, “None whatsoever.” Then again, I am nobody.